Earl of Wessex in gun dog 'cruelty' row

It is a question every dog owner faces at some time – your dog starts misbehaving and you need to regain control, but how do you do it?

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Prince Edward, 44, reacted when he saw two black Labradors trying to grab hold of the same dead bird on the Sandringham estatePhoto: ALBANPIX.COM

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One dog then ran off and Prince Edward gave chase, taking another swing in its directionPhoto: ALBANPIX.COM

by Andrew Alderson, Chief Reporter

10:28PM GMT 27 Dec 2008

The Earl of Wessex has found himself at the centre of an animal cruelty row after being captured on film raising his stick to one of his dogs during a pheasant shoot.

Prince Edward, 44, reacted when he saw two black Labradors trying to grab hold of the same dead bird on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

He went up to the dogs with his shotgun tucked under his arm and his four-foot long stick raised in the air. He then brought down the stick – a shepherd's crook – in the direction of one of the dogs, but it is not known if he made contact.

The dog then ran off and Prince Edward gave chase, taking another swing in its direction.

Buckingham Palace confirmed last night that Prince Edward had stepped in when two gun dogs were fighting over a pheasant. "Prince Edward tried to separate the dogs," a spokeswoman said. "I don't know if he physically struck them. But both dogs are fine – no harm was done to them."

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Andrew Tyler, the director of Animal Aid, said: "We can't be certain that Edward's stick did make contact with the dog although he certainly appears to have acted impulsively without restraint. But we can't expect etiquette and high manners in the context of a sport that is about killing animals for pleasure."

Other royals on yesterday's shoot included Prince William, Prince Andrew, Prince Philip, Peter Phillips, and Princess Royal's husband Tim Laurence. Prince William, 26, was still sporting his beard – just two days after he promised to shave it off. The prince started growing his beard last month while he was on a ten-day exercise with the Special Boat Service in the Caribbean.